Obtaining an F-1 Visa

Once
you have received a Certificate
of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status (INS
Form I-20)
to study at Lewis University, you need to obtain a visa to enter
the United States. The
following are the steps you need to take in order to apply for
an F-1 student visa to enter the U.S. as a student in F-1 immigration
status.

Read
the I-20 you were sent

Step 1: Carefully review the I-20 Lewis University Sent
to you. If all information
is correct on the I-20, complete item 11 on pages 1 and 3.
If you have dependents (husband
or wife, children under the age of 21) who will be traveling
with you, their information must be printed on page 4 of the I-20.
If they will be traveling separately from you, they must
have a separate I-20. (In
some instances the U.S. Consulate may request that they be sent
a separate I-20 even if they are traveling with you.)

Passport
Validity

Make sure your passport is valid.
In order to avoid possible problems applying for a visa
or entering the U.S., your passport must be valid for at least
6 months beyond the date you plan to enter the country. If
you are a Canadian citizen, you are not required to have a passport
unless you are entering the U.S. from a country
outside the Western Hemisphere.

Obtain
a valid F-1 Visa

Please apply for an F-1 visa well in advance of your planned
travel to the US as it can take as long as 4-8 weeks to obtain
a nonimmigrant
visa at some US Embassies and Consulates.
Certain countries may take longer.
Citizens of all countries except Canada are required to
have F-1 visas to enter the U.S. to study.
If you have a valid F-1 visa in your passport, you will
not need to obtain a new one. To apply for a visa, you
will need to submit the following documents to the U.S. Embassy
or Consulate:

Application
for Nonimmigrant Visa (Form
DS-156), which can be obtained from any U.S. Consulate

Supplemental
Nonimmigrant Visa Application (Form
DS-157), generally required of all male applicants between
the ages of 16 and 45, which can be obtained from any U.S.
Consulate

Application
fee (check with the Consulate
for the fee amount and how it must be paid)

One
photograph (1½ inches
square [37 x 37mm], showing full face, without head covering,
against a light background)

Passport

Certificate
of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status (INS
Form I-20) from Lewis University

Admission
letter from Lewis University

Original
documents proving the availability of sufficient funds (the
“Total” in item 7 on your Form I-20)

Documents
which demonstrate that you intend to return home after your
studies (see explanation below)

Handling
the Visa Interview

If you have a visa interview, it will be very short.
Make a good impression; be positive and respond to questions
with clear, concise answers.
Before your interview, practice answering questions in
English about your visa application, your plans in the U.S., and
your plans after you return home. If your spouse and children
will remain in your country, be prepared to explain how they
will support themselves without you
sending them money from the U.S.

You
may not need to do anything special to prove that you intend
to return home (item 8 above).
It may be sufficient for you to say, if asked, that you
plan to return to your country to work, to continue your studies,
or to do whatever you plan to do when you return home.
You may need, however, to prove that you have such strong
ties to your country that will compel you will return
there. If you believe it is likely that you will need to
prove this, please read the handout entitled Proving "Nonimmigrant
Intent" for
U.S. Visa Application Purposes.

If
a visa application is denied, it is sometimes difficult to get
the Consulate to change its decision.
For this reason, you need to obtain the best supporting
documents you can before you apply.
If, despite your best efforts, your application is denied,
ask the Consular officer to give you a written explanation of
the reason. Also,
ask the officer for a list of documents you might bring back in
order to address the reason for the denial.
If your visa is denied because you have not sufficiently
proved your intent to return home, there is little Lewis University
can do to help you. The
Consulate knows that we cannot speak with any authority about
your intentions. If
your visa is denied for any other reason, please contact us and
we will try to provide you with suggestions which may strengthen
your next application.

Additional
Information

The International Student Services Office (ISS)
is pleased to provide you with information, advice, and assistance
on any visa or immigration matter which relates to your activities
at Lewis University. For
more information on U.S. Embassies and Consulates, and on the
visa application process, you may visit the U.S. Department of
State Web site at http://travel.state.gov/.